In South Africa, the centrality of gender-based violence in the spread of HIV/AIDS has led to many educational efforts to address it. The particular social values that male teachers hold around gender-based violence have been less examined. By focusing on African male teachers' understandings of gender-based violence, this paper highlights the complex and contested processes through which meaning of violence is made. We argue that without addressing the specific teacher realities the interrogation of unequal gender relations might be inhibited in South African schools. (Contains 3 notes.)